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1 | .. _cec-intro: |
2 | ||
3 | Introduction | |
4 | ============ | |
5 | ||
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6 | .. note:: This documents the proposed CEC API. This API is not yet finalized |
7 | and is currently only available as a staging kernel module. | |
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8 | |
9 | HDMI connectors provide a single pin for use by the Consumer Electronics | |
10 | Control protocol. This protocol allows different devices connected by an | |
11 | HDMI cable to communicate. The protocol for CEC version 1.4 is defined | |
12 | in supplements 1 (CEC) and 2 (HEAC or HDMI Ethernet and Audio Return | |
13 | Channel) of the HDMI 1.4a (:ref:`hdmi`) specification and the | |
14 | extensions added to CEC version 2.0 are defined in chapter 11 of the | |
15 | HDMI 2.0 (:ref:`hdmi2`) specification. | |
16 | ||
17 | The bitrate is very slow (effectively no more than 36 bytes per second) | |
18 | and is based on the ancient AV.link protocol used in old SCART | |
19 | connectors. The protocol closely resembles a crazy Rube Goldberg | |
20 | contraption and is an unholy mix of low and high level messages. Some | |
21 | messages, especially those part of the HEAC protocol layered on top of | |
22 | CEC, need to be handled by the kernel, others can be handled either by | |
23 | the kernel or by userspace. | |
24 | ||
25 | In addition, CEC can be implemented in HDMI receivers, transmitters and | |
26 | in USB devices that have an HDMI input and an HDMI output and that | |
27 | control just the CEC pin. | |
28 | ||
29 | Drivers that support CEC will create a CEC device node (/dev/cecX) to | |
30 | give userspace access to the CEC adapter. The | |
31 | :ref:`CEC_ADAP_G_CAPS` ioctl will tell userspace what it is allowed to do. |